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You may vote once per day. Voting closes at noon pacific on November 30th.

Want to know who writes which blog? Please check out all the blogs here.

Hi Everyone

The new voting page is here. Please ignore the below voting script on this page.

Our site had 2 polling scripts installed & it looks like this year the one that was enabled was the one that didn’t have all the anti-cheating features working. In years past some people would complain about cheating (whoever was behind) and then someone else would get in the lead (often a person who said someone else was cheating!) and then they would be labeled a cheater, however we were not able to detect any significant amount of ballot stuffing. This year with the wrong polling software it was far too easy to manipulate the results & some folks did.

We have spent the past couple days testing out & verifying an alternative solution, which uses AJAX, does result order randomization, tracks IP addresses, and sets cookies. We are satisfied that it adequately protects the competition from cheating & are starting the vote from scratch using it.

Here is a picture of the old results before we erased that poll

What makes us certain some folks were vote stuffing? Well numerous finalists had over 60,000 votes & the whole site has had less than 60,000 unique visitors since voting began.

[updated: confirming how absurd the above was, here is a example of what happened to web traffic after we changed out the poll

notice that while the number of unique visitors didn't change much from day to day, over 100,000 fake pageviews disappeared overnight]

To make up for this problem we are doing the following:

• starting the vote from scratch today. everyone gets a clean slate.
• extending voting 1 week. it now ends at November 30th at noon pacific.
• since some people might try to circumvent any limits that are put in place, we decided that allowing people to vote once per 24 hour period further helps level the playing field.
• closely monitoring voting for any suspicious voting patterns adjusting downward any votes that our programmer & system admin believes are driven by cheating. we will periodically rotate the field options in addition to the random order display to further nullify any cheating attempts.

We realize that the vote stuffing may not have even been done by any of our finalists, but by some friends who wanted them to win. Thus we are not really blaming anyone for this issue other than ourselves for using the wrong voting script. The new one has been rigorously tested. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Want to know who writes which blog? Please check out all the blogs here.

Voting ends at noon pacific time on November 23rd. Voting has been extended 1 week.

Here are the 2011 Blogging Scholarship finalists. You can vote here

Delana Lefevers Gajitz

David Shiffman Southern Fried Science

Brian McElhinny Raise The Jolly Roger

Ben Swanson Rufus on Fire

Philip Tanedo Quantum Diaries

Carlos Hernandez Carlos Eats

Camille Beredjick Gay Writes

Miraj Patel Miraj Patel.com

Shannyn Allan Frugal Beautiful

Ray Sanders Dear Astronomer.com

Taylor Marvin PROSPECT

Mark Lamprecht Here I Blog

Emily Steen Emylibef

Ariel Norling An Educationin Education

Heather Cohen Escaping Anergy

Jacquelyn Gill Contemplative Mammoth

Kendra Lay Kendra Lay.com

John McAuliff Road Trip of Passage

Kevin Flora EdMatics

Chelsea Long Pilgrimage.

The Missouri Gaming Association is awarding two $1,500 scholarships and four $1,000 scholarships through their annual Project 21 Scholarship competition. In order to win a scholarship, Missouri high school seniors are being asked to write an article or create a poster or video which addresses the issue of underage gambling.

Scholarship info and requirements

Each article, poster or video will be judged on originality, style, content and educational value. The focus of each submission should touch on how to “deter” young people who are under the age of 21 from gambling, and/or discuss the “ramifications” associated with underage gambling. Students are also being asked not to confuse the topic with anti-gambling or compulsive gambling topics because they are not the same.

Here are the qualifications for the entries:

1. Articles: If the student is submitting an article, it must be published in a newspaper, magazine, or publication of the applicant’s school between January 1, 2011 and February 28, 2011.
2. Posters: Every poster that is submitted must be displayed in a public area of the applicant’s school for at least seven days (between January 1, 2011 and February 28, 2011). Applicants must also submit a one-page essay which touches on the topic of underage gambling, however, the essay does not have to be displayed or published at the applicant’s school. Applicants must also provide a letter signed by their school counselor which confirms that the poster was displayed at the school.
3. Videos: All video entries must be between 1 to 5 minutes in length and be viewed in a school classroom or forum between January 1, 2011 and February 28, 2011. Applicants must also submit a letter signed by their school counselor to confirm that the video was viewed at the school.

High school seniors working as part-time casino employees are eligible to apply if he or she works less than 32 hours per week, and children of Missouri casino employees are also eligible as long as they are not a child of a Missouri Gaming Association officer or a Missouri Project 21 Executive Committee member. If the applicant is under the age of 18 then his or her parent/guardian must sign the application form.

Click here for the scholarship application form and to read up on the various other rules and requirements for the competition.

The application deadline is March 4, 2011.

1.  Seeds of Love Scholarship

This $1,000 scholarship is for students who are enrolled in the Minority Engineering Program at Auburn University in Alabama.

Eligible applicants must either be a full-time student at the University, a graduating high school senior, or enrolled in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering-Alabama Power/Southern Company Academic Excellence Program.

Applicants must also have a minimum ACT score of 24, and a minimum undergraduate or high school GPA of 3.0. Preference will be given to the applicants who are from the Birmingham, Alabama area.

The application deadline is May, 2011.

2. We Love Steilacoom Association Scholarship

This $500 scholarship is specifically for Steilacoom High School seniors in Washington, and preference will be given to graduates who are entering a vocational/technical school or community college.

Applicants must demonstrate his or her financial need, and may also be required to participate in a personal interview with the scholarship committee.

Click here for the scholarship application, the deadline is April 1, 2011.

3. Rotary Purple Heart Scholarship

Only residents from the Jefferson, Lewis, or St. Lawrence counties who have been awarded with a Purple Heart are eligible for this $3,000 scholarship. (Dependents and spouses can also apply)

In order to qualify for the scholarship applicants must be a high school senior, a high school junior in an early graduation program, a student planning to attend a technical/vocational school, or a full-time undergraduate student with at least 12 credits per semester.

Applicants are asked to describe any “unusual hardships” and “special family or personal circumstances” in their application.

Click here for the scholarship application; for more information visit www.nnycf.org.

4. Mary E. Love Scholarship Fund

Eligible applicants must be a part- or full-time undergraduate student who has been accepted into the Nursing major at Rhode Island College. Students must also have an overall cumulative GPA of 3.00 in each nursing theory course taken.

Student will be required to submit a typewritten statement which explains his or her educational and professional goals, and the eligible recipients may have to participate in an interview.

The deadline is May 31, 2011; click here for the scholarship application.

5. Mind and Heart Scholarship

Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington is awarding $16,000 in scholarships per year to students who have SAT scores of 2020 or higher, ( or 30+ composite ACT), and a cumulative high school GPA of 3.75 or higher.

The recipients will also automatically qualify to compete in the Honors Colloquium program for other scholarships as well.

Visit www.whitworth.edu for the scholarship application.

6. Dr. Alice Morgan Love Scholarship Fund

This scholarship program was established to honor the memory of Dr. Alice Morgan Love who graduated from the University of Maryland in 1959 and also worked as an associate professor of physical education at the University.

The scholarship will be given to undergraduate/graduate students enrolled in the Department of Kinesiology in the School of Public Health, and recipients will be chosen based on their academic merit, demonstrated leadership skills, and commitment to community service.

7. Valentine Foundation Scholarship

The Valentine Foundation will be awarding three scholarships worth $4,000 to students enrolled at the University of Redlands in California. Eligible applicants must be undergraduate students who are majoring in math, biology, chemistry, physics, or computer science, and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

The application deadline is February 15, 2011.

8. A Servant’s Heart

In order to win one of these three $1,000 scholarships applicants must be a Loudon County high school senior with volunteer service experience.

Students are being asked to submit a letter of reference from a community service organization, a head shot or graduation photo in a JPEG format, and an essay which touches on theme: “A Servant’s Heart: Choosing to Serve.”

Click here for more information on the scholarship; the application deadline is April 15, 2011.

9. Red Pocket Scholarship

This scholarship is to help University of Minnesota students “incorporate an educational or research experience” in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Macau as part of their study, internship, research, or professional training.

The scholarships are worth between $250 and $1,500, and will be used for the partial or total payment of travel or tuition.

Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident, have a GPA of at least 3.0, and be a full-time student enrolled in a “degree-seeking program” at the University of Minnesota.

The next scholarship deadline is March 25, 2011, and the application deadline for the fall/winter semesters is July 29, 2011.

10. Nellie Love Butcher Music Scholarship

This one-time $5,000 scholarship will be given to a music student who is pursuing an education in piano or voice, and preference will be given to students who are currently attending the Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

This scholarship is not renewable, however, recipients are allowed to reapply for the scholarship as long as they maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Applicants are asked to submit a performance CD on a compact disc along with their application.

The application deadline is April 15, 2011; for more information visit the DAR National Society website.

11. June S. Kang Love of the Arts Scholarship Fund

This scholarship is worth $2,500 a year for two years, and the recipients can use the money to pay for tuition at the institution of his or her choice.

In order to quality for the scholarship all applicants must have a “proven artistic ability” in either dance, literature, music, traditional arts, theatre, or visual arts.

The deadline is March 18, 2011.

12. Love Thy Neighbor

Since 1994 this program has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships to students, and each year a graduating student from Pennsbury High School in Pennsylvania and Trenton Central High School in New Jersey are awarded with this $1,500 scholarship.

Applicants must be a high school senior, have a 2.5 grade point average, and be accepted into an accredited college or university. Recipients can also reapply for a renewal of the scholarship if they stay in school and maintain “an above average” grade point average.

Click here for the scholarship applications.

13. John Allen Love Scholarship

This scholarship is for an undergraduate/graduate student from Missouri, and preference will be given to applicants who live in St. Louis or St. Louis County as well as those who are enrolled in courses at the Department of Government and Foreign Affairs.

14. Erin’s “Love for Dance” Scholarship

This scholarship was created in memory of Erin Roderick, an adorable little 4-year-old girl who passed away on March 28, 2009 due to a reoccurring brain tumor. During her short life Erin had a passion for dance and never let her illness stop her from attending dance classes.

Applicants are being asked to submit an essay which explains why they “love to dance” as much as Erin did.

Click here for the application. The deadline is July 15, 2011, for more information call 978-562-0134.

Zachary Freeman, an 18-year-old UTC student majoring in Business Finance, has published a book on how he won numerous grants and scholarships to help pay for his entire college education.

During his senior year of high school, Freeman desperately applied for hundreds of scholarships before enrolling at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He ended up winning $70,000 in grants and scholarships, which was more than enough to pay for all of his tuition, housing, textbooks, and food expenses for the next four years.

Even as a high school student Freeman had a knack for success: He owned his own clothing and sports memorabilia company before pursuing a university education, and by the time he enrolled at UTC he had won ten of the scholarships he applied for which were offered by companies, corporations, and local civic organizations. (Freeman has stated on his blog that approximately 52 percent of his education was funded from local organizations).

“People have this misconception that they have to be a perfect student to get scholarship money, when often it’s based more on community service than anything else,” explained Freeman, who is originally from Franklin, TN. “You’ll never get the money if you don’t at least apply, and most people don’t apply.”

The book and the blog – “Free Money Please!: The Ten-Step Guide to College Financial Aid”

Freeman’s 65-page book is packed full of worksheets, timelines, checklists, as well as advice for students who are looking to finance their entire education through grants and scholarships.

“I have never claimed to possess a secret, but simply the method and timeline that I highlight, along with worksheets, in my first published work,” he stated. “It’s not that there’s a secret, it’s just that there’s a method.”

Since the book was released in September it has launched to #4 on Amazon.com’s “Hot New Releases in Education” list, and has even received “public notoriety” from best selling authors like Dan Miller, as well as syndicated radio hosts.

“More than book sales, I have a desire to see my peers get through college without spending an arm and a leg,” he explained. “I will be completely debt-free through four years of college, and I know that with a bit of effort, other students around the United States, and specifically in the Chattanooga area can and will benefit from what I have to say.”

If you can’t afford to shell out the $15 for his book, Freeman also offers some great tips and advice for students applying for scholarships on his blog. For further reading, check out the following posts:

• “Where Should I Look for the Free Money?“
• “Building Wealth in College: Part 1“
• “The Top-Ten List“

1. Scholarships, Grants and Prizes – 2010: Millions of Awards Worth Billions of Dollars (Peterson’s Scholarships, Grants & Prizes) by Peterson’s

This book has been called “the Mecca of scholarship books,” and is packed full of up-to-date information on a variety of different scholarships along with their contact information and eligibility requirements.

2. Taming the Tuition Tiger: Getting the Money to Graduate–with 529 Plans, Scholarships, Financial Aid, and More by Kathy Kristof

Liz Pulliam Weston, (a personal finance columnist for MSN Money), described this book as “the best, smartest, and most comprehensive guide to financing education.” Kristof provides background information on 529 plans, Individual Development Accounts, student loans, private or pubic scholarships, tips for students who are from low-income families, and much more.

3. The A’s and B’s of Academic Scholarships: 100,000 Scholarships for Top Students (A’s and B’s of Academic Scholarships) by Anna Leider

This book contains a comprehensive list of approximately 100,000 different scholarships along with information on their criteria, amount, renewability options, and deadlines. The majority of the awards listed range from $300 to $40,000; however, they must be used at a sponsoring school.

4. Scholarship Handbook 2010 (College Board Scholarship Handbook) by The College Board

The College Board is a non-profit organization internationally known for providing college students with information on admissions, enrollment, and financial aid. Their book lists the due dates for numerous scholarships and serves as an excellent resource for future college students.

5. How to Go to College Almost for Free by Ben Kaplan

Author Ben Kaplan provides great advice on where/how to find financial aid for college, how to fill out scholarship applications, and which common mistakes to avoid when applying for financial aid. He is also the author of The Scholarship Scouting Report: An Insider’s Guide to America’s Best Scholarships, Honey, I Shrunk the Tuition!, Adult and Non-Traditional Scholarships That Totally Rock!, and many more.

6. Money-Winning Scholarship Essays and Interviews: Insider Strategies from Judges and Winners by Gen S. Tanabe and Kelly Y. Tanabe

This book discusses how to write a scholarship essay, how to answer interview questions, and most importantly, how to win scholarships. The book also has a directory of scholarships along with their amount and eligibility requirement. The authors have written numerous other books on scholarships, some of which are Get Free Cash for College: Secrets to Winning Scholarships, How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay: 30 Essays That Won Over $3 Million in Scholarships, or The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2010: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships, Grants and Prizes.

7. Scholarships 101: The Real-World Guide to Getting Cash for College by Kimberly Ann Stezala

The author of this book founded the only online scholarship database in Wisconsin, and writes a scholarship column for Wisconsin’s largest African-American newspaper. She provides great motivational tips for students and parents on how to save up for a college education, as well as how to stand out from other scholarship applicants.

8. Full Ride To College: How To Win Scholarships And Get Admitted To The College Of Your Dreams by Andrew F. Knight

This author was the winner of over $1 million in merit-based scholarship and fellowships, and studied at MIT, Georgetown, and Princeton. He discusses numerous strategies on how students can raise their GPAs before applying for college, or how to balance work and school.

9. The Scholarship & Financial Aid Solution: How to Go to College for Next to Nothing with Short Cuts, Tricks, and Tips from Start to Finish by Debra Lipphardt

This book is full of tips on how to determine your scholarship eligibility and avoid scholarship scams. There are also sections dedicated to resumes, state grants, FAFSA, minority students and interviews.

10. The Everything Paying For College Book: Grants, Loans, Scholarships, And Financial Aid — All You Need To Fund Higher Education (Everything: School and Careers) by Nathan Brown and Sheryle A. Proper

This book is a great resource for high school students, parents, or event adults who are thinking about going back to school. The authors write about saving money for college and long-term investing, and also explain the difference between loans and grants, qualification guidelines, and how to fill out scholarship applications.

Screenshot of the official results.

And the official results are in…

• Winner: Christie Wilcox
• First Runner Up: Christine Mielke
• Second Runner Up: Mark Lamprecht

Voting closes closed at noon pacific on November 5th. Please see this post for more background information about each blog & blogger.

Congrats again to all the finalists.

And thanks for being good sports about it in spite of all the nasty comments by people who trolled in the comments here & people who trolled other contestants. If only the people making such comments were half as classy as the finalists are, then the world would be a much better place.

We had so many entries this year that it took us a couple extra days to sort through all of them & pick finalists from all the great blogs. Here are the 10 finalists. Voting will be open from today, October 27th to closing at noon pacific on November 5th. You can vote for your favorite blog here.

Observations of a Nerd: Christie Wilcox attends the University of Hawaii at Manoa; Cell & Molecular Biology PhD Program. She blogs to help make science more accessible. In her own words:

While I appreciate biology from a purely scientific standpoint, I strongly believe research is useless if you can’t communicate it. There’s a great quote by Jules Poincaré that says: “Science is facts; just as houses are made of stone, so is science made of facts; but a pile of stones is not a house, and a collection of facts is not necessarily science.” In my mind, what turns facts into science is the integration of research into society, whether for purely educational purposes or society’s benefit, and that the key to that is communication. That’s why I decided to start a science blog in 2008. As a scientist, I really believe that it is my responsibility to engage non-scientists and the public in general in my endeavors to give my work meaning.

Scientists already share what we do with each other. That’s what journals are for. I wanted to share what I loved with everyone, not just my like-minded peers. I feel it is important to take jargon-filled scientific publications and break them down in such a way that everyone can understand what is being studied and why it is important. In modern media, science is only talked about if it can be sensationalized. So-called “real” journalists seem to think experiments are only worth mentioning if they can be summed up in a catchy but untrue headline or are controversial. But every day I read papers no one hears about that are just so…. *cool*. Science is unbelievably cool, and I blog because I think that maybe if the rest of the world saw science how I do, they would think it was pretty cool, too. And maybe if they did, there would be more scientists doing unbelievably cool stuff for me to blog about!

I C You Pee: Josh Eklow attends the University of Iowa. This is Josh’s fringe artistic blog about local bathrooms. In his own words:

I have been blogging ever since I’ve had the tools required to blog. Most of my art projects either start out as blogs or become blogs. The blog I work on the most right now is my bathroom blog, IC You Pee. I have been reviewing and writing about every bathroom I have used in Iowa City. I do so in the hopes that people will talk to me, and each other, about bathrooms! Bathrooms are something that everyone uses, and that everyone has opinions on, but people do not talk about them. I feel that many problems in our country, and the world perhaps, come from people not talking about things they should talk about, such as religious, sexual, and political experiences, views, and opinions. The bathroom is a non-threatening place to start.

Temptalia: Christine Mielke attends Santa Clara University. Her blog is about beauty. In her own words:

Blogging is vital to me, because it has given tangible meaning to my heart and soul. Through blogging, I have learned my passion lies in beauty by providing firsthand experiences to help others. Blogging is my method of self-expression, but it has brought me together with like-minded individuals and allowed us to build a community based on that passion. I have been given opportunities to interact with my readers, both on and offline, and there is nothing more rewarding than being able to help someone—even if it is recommending a lipstick. That lipstick recommendation just might inspire confidence in a self-conscious teenager!

Everything is a conversation, and the conversation is open to everyone. The power of blogging comes from the ability to leverage a community of passionate experts, and one of the most inspiring moments in my journey has been seeing the entire beauty community come together to create a spreadsheet to help people find the best foundation shade. Each individual added their matching shades to the database so others could find their match and see comparable matches by other brands. It has become an invaluable resource, but it was only made possible by the contributions of the community. This is the meaning of blogging to me: the power of one person to ignite others into action.

Inspiring action is important, and blogs can provide the platform for it. A brand planned to launch a collection inspired by Juarez, but the product names were offensive to the community at large; 2,000 blog comments and a week later, that brand canceled the entire launch and pledged all projected profits to the women of Juarez. Every individual has a voice, and I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to share mine every day.

The Oakbrook: John Grennan attends UC Berkeley. He helps write on a locally focused Oakland blog. In his own words:

Oakland, California has lost police officers and school teachers during the recession. It’s also lost newspaper reporters, as the town’s main newspaper (The Tribune) has shed staff and the area’s main newspaper (The San Francisco Chronicle) has stopped paying attention to Oakland.

As a journalism student at UC Berkeley, I’ve had the opportunity to help fill the void over at The Oak Book, a blog I run with a friend. The site covers politics and culture in a city of remarkable diversity, much of which goes uncovered outside of blogs like ours. In the past month, I’ve written 10 articles based from my original and in-depth reporting on City Hall and the mayoral campaign.

I’ve decided to devote more attention to this blog than other journalistic work because I see the election as the fulcrum for the next four to eight years in a city that can have a better future. It’s also a potential model for other journalistic sites, where students can bring more attention to city politics at a time when newspaper staffs often can’t.

Innovative Interactivity: Tracy Boyer attends The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her bilingual blog is dedicated to multimedia storytelling. In her own words:

I’m pretty sure I laughed out loud when I first learned about blogs at The Poynter Institute in 2007. “Why would anyone ever want to read what I had to say?” I pondered.

Six months later I was working at The Roanoke Times and found myself frequently frustrated by the lack of passion and motivation in the newspaper industry. For many nights I scoured the Web looking for free resources where I could learn more about the industry and interact with others who were also passionate about interactive multimedia.

Unfortunately, my RSS reader remained sparse. At the time there were only a few blogs dedicated to multimedia storytelling. Out of sheer frustration, I signed up with Blogger to archive sites I came across and ideas I had during the day. Never would I have realized that three years later I would still be blogging as a full-time dual master’s candidate.

My blog “Innovative Interactivity” has evolved from a random collection of poorly written posts to a bilingual website with a rich archive of more than 500 posts. I will never be able to quantify how my blog has enhanced my life professionally, but then again I would have stopped years ago had I been trying to make a quick dollar. Rather, my role as a blogger is invaluable due to the hundreds of connections I have established with my readers, other bloggers and people I have interviewed over the years. The ability to inspire, educate and connect like-minded individuals is priceless.

As long as I believe I am providing my community with valuable content I will continue to blog, which brings me much happiness.

Thank you for your consideration!

Here I Blog: Mark Lamprecht attends New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He was nominated by 3 others & when he applied he highlighted why he started blogging and what it means to him. In his own words:

I started blogging out of frustration. I was frustrated about various theological issues in evangelicalism at large. I would write mostly vent at first. As time went on, I grew. I grew in grace, wisdom and understanding. I also found out later while looking back just how poor my writing skills were. Eventually, those grew too. Blogging, then, has been a blessing.

The real blessing, however, comes from the private encouragement I receive. People have written to ask if they could quote a line or prayer I had written. How very humbling. Mostly, they write to thank me for what I have written. They express how my blog has blessed them in one way or another. Surprisingly, they encourage me to keep it up.

Somehow God has used my blog to benefit others which is ultimately why I blog. Not that this is always accomplish after clicking publish. Yet I desire to edify others. At the same time, when I fail in this area it is an opportunity for more growth. Blogging is truly a journey through which I pray for continued growth for the sake of the regular readers; and for the seeking soul who stumbles upon my site while looking for an answer.

Whether or not I win The Blogging Scholarship is not up to me. Either way, blogging will still be important and I will press on. It is merely another opportunity that blogging has brought my way. And I’m thankful for it.

The Sam Jackson College Experience: Samuel Jackson attends Yale. His blog is about higher education planning. In his own words

I started blogging for two reasons: I wanted to express myself, and I wanted to make an impact. This used to mean writing about higher education marketing, or college admissions trends; I was proud of my blog and glad that it had connected with senior leadership at many different schools. More recently, I thought this meant helping high school students stress less and better prepare for the college admissions process.

Eventually I discovered the real value of my blog. This is measured not in monetary terms, but in less tangible ways. My blog and accompanying website has had a huge impact for my online identity and reputation. Searching ‘sam jackson’ on Google delivers my blog as a top result, and this fact has been responsible for my professional successes more than any other.

Digital identity management is not, at first glance, a sexy topic, but it’s incredibly important, and sorely misunderstood. Managing your identity online means more than just keeping photos off Facebook of that last party; it means putting your best face forward and controlling the message. For me, this directly led to one job, which led to another, and another… Even before it brought me internships, my blog brought me connections and benefits in the college search. Blogging and connecting with admissions counselors online meant that they knew me, and I got to know them!

When people ask me about my blog, they expect something trite about my imagined audience in the digital ether. Instead, I point them to thousand word treatises on the importance of personal branding. My blog has helped me get into college, it’s landed me jobs, and I hope now it can help me get this scholarship – the better to help me in my mission to make the world a better place.

Libertarian Christians: Norman Horn attends the University of Texas at Austin. His blog combines Christian theology with libertarian philosophy. In his own words:

I started blogging because I believe in the power of ideas. Good ideas fuel the engine of human progress. LibertarianChristians.com was established because I saw a lack of well-reasoned, just, and equitable political theory in the modern church, both Protestant and Catholic. American Christians in particular seem to be fixated on the two-party system, and they frequently possess no consistent philosophy for dealing with complicated yet critical subjects such as war, natural law, social ethics, and political economy.

Libertarianism provides a framework of ideas that explains how the world works and what the bounds of government truly should be. Moreover, libertarian philosophy is quite consistent with Christian theology. For example, libertarianism states that peaceful coexistence and freedom from aggression are the essence of civilization. Jesus’ injunction to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” proclaims a similar message, one that Christians could and should remember in the political realm. Both groups believe morality does not change once someone takes a public office or puts on a uniform. We are all accountable to the same standard.

Blogging allows one to enter the virtual world dialogue of ideas and make one’s voice heard. By speaking up just a little, I have put forward a clear message, engaged the world, and encouraged others to join the conversation. It is time for Christians outside the left-right paradigm to tell fellow believers that there is another way to look at politics. “Conservatives” cheapen the lives of innocents in war while supposedly valuing the life of the unborn. “Liberals” believe that more control over individuals’ lives will solve the problems we face. Libertarians say otherwise. Liberty has been and always will be the prime organizational principle of society, and Christians should be the first to understand its benefits and herald its triumphs.

Off the Mark: Andrew Bryz-Gornia attends Gustavus Adolphus College. Thi is Andrew’s blog about the Twins. In his own words:

I have been a huge baseball fan for nearly my whole life. However, it was tough finding someone that enjoyed it as much as myself. There was one guy that enjoyed collecting baseball cards, and another that would catch just about every baseball game on ESPN, but no one knew as many baseball players as myself.

Once I hit college, I discovered blogging. I had wanted to be a sportswriter when I was younger, but instead I decided to pursue a degree in mathematics and education. After reading the blogs of Star Tribune writer La Velle E. Neal III and various Minnesota Twins bloggers, I realized that I could still pursue my love of writing about sports.

I’m now approaching the first full year of my blog’s existence. It has allowed me to connect with other baseball fans around the country, filling the void that I had when I was younger. Now, I can discuss just about anything I want, and I don’t have to worry about “dumbing down” the content. I’ve also been invited on several podcasts to discuss Twins baseball with other bloggers, and have submitted an article to the Community Blog on the website FanGraphs.

Since starting my blog about a year ago, I have made many new friends and have strengthened my passion of baseball. I foresee myself writing this blog for many years to come.

The Reform Shuckle: David Wilensky’s blog covers Jewish liturgy and ritual. David attends Drew University. In his own words:

I am David A.M. Wilensky and I have a bizarrely specific passion. I am obsessed with Jewish liturgy. For reasons still not entirely clear to me, on September 20 of this year, I had 507 page views. That’s a new record for me.

My blog is called The Reform Shuckle. To Jews, the name is an incongruous blend of the liberal (Reform Judaism) and the traditional (shuckling is the rhythmic rocking back and forth that some more conservatively observant Jews do while they pray). This combination is exactly what I wanted to evoke. I blog almost entirely about Jewish liturgy and ritual from a Reform/liberal/progressive perspective, but I often arrive at what many would call “Orthodox” conclusions.

I’d be hard-pressed to pin down the most inspiring blog post I’ve ever read, but a series of posts by Ben Dreyfus of MahRabu.blogspot.com springs to mind. The series, Hilchot Pluralism is a description of guidelines developed for use in pluralistic Jewish settings where many styles of observance need to be recognized and accomodated. The content is amazing on its own, but what’s more compelling is that his guidelines have been adopted or referenced for years now by upstart pluralist Jewish organizations.

With Dreyfus’ as the perfect example, Jewish blogging has led to a diversity and a creativity of opinion that’s wholly new to the Jewish community. 50 years ago, his guidelines would never have been as widely read unless they had been written by a rabbi. But Ben is just a lone blogger.

My blogging has brought me enough attention that I’m now a contributor to Jewschool.com, one of the oldest and most well read Jewish blogs. I’m now being paid to write a book by a publisher I met through blogging. I’m also a paid editor/writer/blogger at New Voices Magazine.

Special interest scholarships

1. If you design your prom outfit with duct tape, you could be eligible to win $3,000 for the Duck Brand Duct Tape Stuck on Prom Contest. Applicants must send in one color photograph of their prom attire, and their prom outfits will be judged according to workmanship, originality, use of color, accessories, and quantity of duct tape used. The second-place couple will win $2,000 each, third-place will receive $1,000, and the other seven “runner up couples” will win $500. Deadline: June 2011.

2. The National Cartoonists Society Foundation is giving away $4000 for their Jay Kennedy Scholarship for Cartoonists contest.  A major in art is not required, but the applicant must be a junior or senior college student in the US, Canada, or Mexico. In order to qualify applicants have to send eight samples of their cartoon artwork. Deadline: December 15th, 2010.

3. The Colorado State University Rodeo Team is offering two annual scholarships:

Through the Mike Cervi Memorial Scholarship Fund, four or five applications could win scholarships worth between $3,000 to $4,000, however the amount varies each year. Deadline: March 1st, 2011.

Eight to ten team members from the CSU Rodeo Club could be eligible to win money from the General Rodeo Scholarship Fund. In order to qualify students must be enrolled or accepted to Colorado State University, and must also have at least 12 credit hours with a “C” or above. Deadline: May 1st, 2011.

4. Do you have an obsession with vacuum coating? Well if you do, you could win between $2,500 to $5,000 from the Society of Vacuum Coaters Foundation Scholarship fund. Each applicant must be studying and/or working in vacuum coating technology or any other related field. Deadline: January 31st, 2011.

Physical trait scholarships

5. Males who are 6’ 2” or taller, and females who are 5’ 10” or taller could be eligible to win $1,000 through the Tall Clubs International Scholarship. Applicants must be under the age of 21 and be attending their first year of college in the following Fall. The application deadline varies each year.

6. Only students who are shorter than 4’ 10” could be eligible to win a $1,000 scholarship from the Billy Barty Foundation. Two scholarships are handed out each year, and some may be renewable depending on the number of “qualified” applicants.

7. Calling all left-handers in Pennsylvania! You could win between $1,000 and $5,000 in scholarships from the Frederick and Mary F. Beckley Scholarship fund. In order to qualify you must be left-handed, be a junior or senior student at Juniata College with good grades, and prove that you are in need of financial aid. Deadline: April 1st, 2011.

Last name or family scholarships

8. If you are a descendant of Lambert and Annetje Van Valkenburg through birth of legal adoption, you could win up to $1,000 from the Van Valkenburg Memorial Scholarship. Applicants must submit a 500-word essay which “contributes to the heritage of the Van Valkenburg Family in America.” The application deadline varies each year.

9. If your last name is Gatling or Gatlin and you plan on attending North Carolina State University, you could be eligible to win a John Gatling Scholarship. Winners who are North Carolina residents could win up to $9,000, while out-of-state residents could win up to $18,000. Deadline: February 1st, 2011.

10. If you are a Catholic and your last name is Zolp, you could win a Loyola University Zolp Scholarship. In order to qualify you must provide a copy of your birth certificate as well as baptismal confirmation to Loyola University’s Office of Student Financial Assistance.  The amount of the scholarship will be determined according to your financial need as well as the number of students who apply. Deadline: February 1st, 2011.

For food nerds

11. If you are pursuing a degree in enology, viticulture, or any wine or grape-related science program, you could be eligible to win a scholarship from the American Society for Enology and Viticulture Scholarship Program.  Applicants must be an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled into a full-time four-year college or university program. Undergraduate students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0, and the scholarship amount varies each year. Deadline: March 1st, 2011.

12. In order to win a $1,000 scholarship from The National Beef Ambassador Program, the applicant must give a presentation on beef nutrition and/or production and conduct an interview with a panel of judges. The winner will also be required to speak at different engagements and conferences.

13. The National Potato Council is giving away $5,000 for their Potato Industry Scholarship. In order to qualify you must be a graduate student who is studying Agribusiness, and each applicant will be judged according to academic achievement and leadership skills.

For science geeks

14. Are you interested in pursuing a career as an author or illustrate in the Science Fiction genre? You could win a scholarship for the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contest, “presented” by L. Ron Hubbard. For the Writers of the Future Contest, applicants must submit a science fiction/fantasy short story or novelette that is up to 17,000 in length. The prizes are handed out every three months and can range from $500 to $1,000, while the annual grand prize is $5,000. For the Illustrators of the Future Contest, $1,500 in funds are awarded four times a year, and then the quarterly winners will complete for the $5,000 annual prize.

15. The STARFLEET Academy is offering ten $500 scholarships through their Starfleet Scholarship Program, each of which are each designed for a specific area of study, such as Physical Therapy, Engineering, Performing Arts, Science, Education, Law Enforcement, etc. All applications must submit a two-page personal essay which answers one of the following three questions: “Why are you applying for this scholarship?” “What STARFLEET activities are you involved in?” or “In what other extracurricular activities to you participate?” Deadline: June 30th, 2011.

For animal lovers

16. If you are a vegetarian high school student then put down that veggie burger and pay attention, because you could win one of two $5,000 scholarships from The Vegetarian Resource Group. In order to qualify to win money from the Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship Fund you must submit an essay which discusses how you have been promoting vegetarianism in your school and/or community. Deadline: February 20th, 2011.

17. The Elks National Foundation’s Most Valuable Student Award offers 500 four-year scholarships to the “highest-rated” high school students/ENF members who will be judged according to their leadership skills and financial need. The scholarship amounts range between $1,000 and $15,000 each year. Deadline: December 1st, 2010.

18. You could win a $500 scholarship if you have a parent who is a member of the Michigan Llama Association thanks to the Kathy Larson Memorial Scholarship. All you have to do is write an essay about why and how your family is involved with llamas, and once you are awarded the scholarship you can renew it up to three times.

19. If you have a special talent in duck calling you could win up to $2,000 in scholarships by competing in the Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest. Only applicants who are high school seniors are eligible to compete, and the event is held in Stuttgart, Arkansas. The second-place winner will receive $1,000, third-place will win $750, and fourth-place will be awarded with $500.

20. In the hopes of promoting more conversations about mule and black-tailed deer, (in their own words), the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) has started a scholarship program, titled the Dannie Jasmine Scholarship. In order to apply you must be a future University of Nevada student applying for the Department of Environmental and Resource Sciences (ERS) program, and the recipient will win a $500 scholarship along with a one-year MDF membership. Deadline: June 15th, 2011.

The weirdest of the weird scholarships

21. In order to win a $500 OP Loftbed Scholarship, all college students have to do is answer a few questions like “What will you type in your next TEST, Tweet, or Instant Message.” Now THAT’S something to Tweet about.

22. If you end up procreating with someone you met on the Groupon dating site, your future child could win up to $60,000 a year once they reach the age of 25.  In order to win the Grouspawn scholarship, the couple must apply with photographic evidence (such as a newspaper article with a date on it, credit card statements, etc.) proving that they used a “Groupon” on their first date. There is no application deadline.

23. If you are a high school senior athlete with a 3.20 GPA or higher you could compete for the annual Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year (SAMMY) Award. Over 25 students could receive the award of $7,500, win a free trip to Disney Word, and be featured in a Milk Mustache ad which will be published in USA Today.

24. Are you pursuing a career in economics and have a knack for predicting the financial market? You can win the Excellence in Predicting the Future Award (worth $400). Deadline: December 10th, February 10th, April 10th, June 10th, August 10th.

25.  You could be eligible to win an American Fire Sprinkler Association Scholarship, and all you have to do is write an essay about fire sprinklers and score high on a 10-question fire sprinkler test. The Association is currently offering two scholarships: For the High School Senior Scholarship Contest, high school seniors could win one of ten $2,000 scholarships (Deadline: April 5th, 2011), and any high school graduate could win one of five $1,000 scholarships for the Second Chance Scholarship Contest. (The deadline will be announced in March, 2011).

Click here to read up on other wacky and unusual scholarships.